First stop Melbourne – My impressions and recommendations – # 3 Work and Travel Australia 2018

Melbourne – what a brilliant city. I have never been more comfortable in any other city. The atmosphere, the mood and the people are just wonderful! I am incredibly proud to have met many great people who have made the time unforgettable! I had such an amazing experience with many amazing memories whilst living in Melbourne, which you will intake and learn when reading this blog post.

Melbourne a city in Australia?

As written and seen in my last blog post, the first impression of Melbourne, Australia wasn’t that stereotypical city I first believed in. Since I was only in the CBD (Central Business District) in the first days, I was stuck in this big city feeling.. I wanted the feeling of cruising to the beach, surfing or kangaroos and outback, and what you would imagine when you directly hear Australia. At first I thought I was in good weather in London (25 degrees and blue sky). During my first week in Australia I had two moments which I would recall as “goose bump” moments, which I would like to share with you.

Jogging on the Yarra River at 8pm Skyline

I went for a jog around 8pm which was my first day in Australia. Everyone who know me, knows how majorly important sport is in my life, I cant live with out it. Whilst I continued to run I noticed it was starting to get dark, I was starting to think about what I should to do. I knew I had to continue running because I had missed the last 2 days training because of my flight, still little jet-lagged I bravely continued. I searched Google Maps for a route where I could combine jogging with sightseeing. I jogged towards the Melbourne Cricket Ground along the Yarra River, It was still warm 20 degrees, I continued to jog in just the tank top and short sports pants through the dusk, the canal reflected the many colours of the city. Crickets buzzed and there was a light summer breeze, this was my first goosebump moment.

I jogged whilst the skyline faced my back, after about 15 minutes, I turned around, It was dark and the entire skyline shined in a beautiful blue, I started to smile and thought, “Damn, I’m free, Why am I always thinking so much? This is my time! Enjoy your life, because you only have one.“

After I finished jogging, I sat down on a bench by the canal and admired the skyline for several hours. I could’nt  look away. I called @hagenrichter to share this feeling with him. We nearly talked 1.5 hours. I’ll never forget this day!

My first beach day in Australia

It was my first Saturday in Melbourne, it was a scorcher of a day 30 degrees to be exact, which therefore I decided with 2 of my buddies (I had only met in my first week at the hostel), to travel to St. Kilda beach.

We boarded the train to St. Kilda at Flinders Station, the sun was so hot that it became nearly unbearably to stay on the train. The ride took about 30 minutes, whilst being on the train you could already see the sea and the promenade and the blue water. The beach was long which also lay a line of palm trees along the promenade.

Thousands of people sprayed a summer feeling, as we got off the train we were greeted by a warm but refreshing sea breeze, this was my 2nd “goosebump moment”. I felt free, I felt alive! This was exactly how I expected Australia to be, although this reminded me of the beach in California, It was bloody awesome !!!

 

Is Australia expensive?

This is a very significant issue for many who are considering going to Australia, Yes I have to say, Australia is fucking expensive.

An example of my experience:

It was the first day living in Australia, It was a Sunday and I was on my way to the hostel, It was 25 degrees and I had consumed the last mouthful of water several hours before. Since I had no idea where the nearest supermarket is, I ran through the streets and ended up in a kiosk (7Eleven), I was gobsmacked, a standard water bottle cost just 4-6 dollars. I know it was only 3-4 Euros, but it’s still outrageous?!

Few other examples:

– Kebab $9- $12

– 1 scoop of ice cream $5- $8

– Fried noodles with chicken $12- $15

These examples can be shown in every Supermarket, almost everything is twice as expensive in Australia compared to Germany or in Europe. The first couple of months were the hardest, because sometimes I struggled to convert and compare the rates. You would never shop for just 10 euros to cook a great meal, It was normally a fee of $40-60 ahead, but if you convert that into euros, it’s 25-40 euros, which is still a lot! No question!

Australia is not for smokers!

Yes it’s right! Many backpackers stop smoking or at least stop their consumption while in Australia, Why?! A pack of cigarettes costs $30- $50 and tobacco for $20- $30 Is that too much? I am an absolute non-smoker! Therefore, this has no effect on me, the price in Germany or in Europe as a total could also be raised, because smoking is shit and absolutely unnecessary! Away from that it is also gross and unhealthy!

Do you already know the good old Goon?

Goon ?! What is that.. Goon is a cheap wine that can be purchased in 2-5 litre packs, this  costs $12- $20 and is by far the most popular alcohol among backpackers in Australia, does it taste nice too? NO.

I believe it says it all, if you were to read the ingredients on the back on the package it says “this may contain remains of egg shells and fish!!” Why should you drink something like that? the question is quite simple to answer.

Everything else is just too expensive! A vodka bottle costs about $30-60, the $30 bottle is the exact same bottle as the 5 Euro cheap vodka in Germany. All spirits are accordingly too expensive! Even beer is so expensive! A box of beer (24 bottles) you get in Germany for a good 12 euros, here in Australia a case of beer costs $ 40-50.

Melbourne is something for sushi fans

 

The only thing I’m completely surprised about and what I’ll miss in Germany is the sushi! In Melbourne every third shop is a sushi snack! But it is far cheaper than in Germany! If you make happy hour and want to buy sushi as a snack you pay about $2-3 per thick sushi roll. I found a shop in Melbourne that has happy hour every day at 21:45 and sells 4 sushi rolls for $6. This is unbelievably cheap, I went there every night and bought sushi! Just awesome! If you want to know which shop I mean, leave a comment under the post!

 

 

 

 

 

The Vibe in Melbourne is just indescribable! – Festivals, bars and life

The nightlife in Melbourne is not anywhere comparable to Germany, meaning the clubs in German are much better! There far greater restrictions here, for an example the clubs are only operating until 2:00am – 3:00am and you also have to be inside the club before 1:00am, this is the “lock out” rule, not in before 1:00am you may swell go home, But everything is better. So what do I mean by better? Australia have many more pubs, bars and not so many nightclubs. The Australian pubs are completely different than German pubs, everything is much bigger, more open and familiar. Some clubs even have a pool, billiards, TVs and a super friendly vibe.

In Germany, only the older people go to pubs, here in Australia, it is normal for everyone to meet at the pubs from all ages, to enjoy food and beverages. As far as the festivals are concerned, every weekend in Melbourne there is a new festival, Beach festivals, music festivals and food festivals or normal funfair. Since most festivals have no cost you have something new to do every weekend.

 

 

Yarra Valley – The sky for wine lovers

Yarra Valley, which is about 1-2 hours by car from Melbourne! It is a incredibly, beautiful landscape that is perfect for hiking, you should definitely make a stopover here. We decided to join in a wine tasting after the hike, what could be better than a delicious wine at the end of the day with a beautiful sunset? I’m more of the red wine drinker, What about with you? Leave a comment there 😊

The conclusion

For us Europeans it’s extremely expensive living here in Australia, once you get used to the value of expenses you become more aware which works out to be not so bad, once you start working, you understand why expenses here are are so high. Australians earn a lot of money! About twice as in Germany, the minimum wage is about 16 euros.

Apart from the living cost, I’m totally in love with Melbourne. Melbourne has such a great vibe, which I fitted in very well. Although it’s a city with almost 5 million people, the city centre was not as large as first thought. I spent most of my time in St Kilda on the beach or in the CBD (centre). There are some superb beaches in Australia, and the vibe with the promenade was great !!! The CBD is superb too, you fill with just joy whilst you stand amongst the large buildings, you start to think how small you really are.

In the next blog post I’ll tell you about my road trip on the Great Ocean Road. It was really cool! I can tell you in advance! If you want more input, feel free to email me or visit my Instagram account @fabianxarnold.

 

The flight and the arrival at the other end of the world (Australia) – # 2 Work and Travel Australia 2018

The day finally had come. I was leaving my usual environment, my home, my family and my friends behind me for a year. Was I excited? NO! I still had not realized that in a few hours I would be on a plane to Australia. At lunchtime, I ate with my family in our usual restaurant and then everything went incredibly fast …

The day of departure to Australia

Usually I’m always well organized, but that day everything was so messy. I had to say goodbye to so many people, that I messed up the time schedule and my bag was not packed until half an hour before I was leaving for the airport. Of course I had everything layed out, but hadn’t checked yet to see if it would fit in my backpack … and of course it was too much to fit. I had to decide within a few minutes what I would leave at home and what I would take with me on my trip! With much stress and effort I repacked my bag, but there was no time to look over what I had packed again.
I had to get to the airport immediately, otherwise I would miss the flight. When one thing goes wrong, everything does, so of course there was a traffic jam on the highway. My navigation system told me that I would not make it in time to the airport for my flight. But as if by magic, the traffic jam resolved and I arrived at the airport on time. Luckily my parents were already at the airport to welcome me; because they were on their way home from Austria and they wanted to say goodbye to me at the airport, as there was only very little time!

The flight to Australia

The time I spent at the gate, on the plane and in the first few hours in Australia was where I have been most afraid in my life. Alone and on my own with the thought that I will go home in a year! Luckily I had a travel mate from the time I arrived at the airport, so those of you who would like to have a travel mate for the flight and the first days of your trip, definitely stop by www.urlaubspartner.de and have a look!
My flight to Australia took about 23 hours with a stopover in Delhi, India. The first 7 hours on the plane I had survived without problems. No little kids screaming or anything else that could bother me (well, except for the 7 hours). The second half of the flight was not as good as the first. I had a mother right next to me with her baby, which cried throughout the whole flight. But I survived! In order to not get jetlag at all, I arranged for my first flight to depart in the evening (Australian day time) and to travel through the night forcing myself to stay awake. Then, only in the second flight (Australia night time) I let myself sleep. So once I landed, I managed to get straight into the Australian rhythm.

The arrival and first days in Down Under

When I arrived in Melbourne, Australia, it was only 7 a.m. The sky was overcast and it was around 20 degrees. I was overjoyed to have arrived in Australia and could hardly believe that I was at the other end of the world, so far away from home.
I then took the bus, which was heading towards the city center, to the first hostel. When I arrived in the city, it felt more like being in London or in another city, but not Australia. The sky had turned blue in the meantime and it was 25 degrees, but it somehow didn’t feel like Australia. That was not what I had imagined.
Arriving at the hostel, I had already met the first backpacker within a few minutes. I was really happy with the hygiene of the place. Of course you can not expect it to be 100% clean, but basic hygiene was definitely there, no cockroaches or anything like that! The only thing that bothered me in the first few days was the kitchen. I could not believe that people could cook properly in a hostel kitchen! Everything was filthy and really disgusting, but after several days you got used to it and learned to handle it.
I was in a 6 dorm bedroom and luckily had roommates who went to work, meaning it was always nice and quiet and I could sleep well. Since it does not bother me to sleep with strangers in my room, the “Hostel Life” was not a problem for me. The only thing I missed next to a clean kitchen more than anything else, was a toilet that only I or my family uses, luckily I was not born a girl, guys definitely have a much easier job to survive on such toilets.

What else did I had to organize? In the first days I had a lot to do and organize, such as get me an australian sim card, apply for my tax code, etc …

 

Step 1: Which SIM Card?  and how did I get one in Australia?

Getting the australian SIM card was the first thing I did because you need them for everything in Australia! For that you have to research which provider is best. There are three major providers offering all prepaid SIM cards. That means you have a contract for a month, then you have to extend it yourself. That’s what every backpacker I’ve met has done.
The largest provider is Telstra, Telstra has by far the largest network coverage in Australia and even `down under` you have reception. Optus is the second largest supplier and obviously a bit cheaper than Telstra. Vodafone is really great for the price. Unfortunately, with Vodafone, you only have reception in cities and if you are on a road trip, the majority of the time you have no signal. I would recommend you use Vodafone for cities and as soon as you are on a road trip just use your Telstra SIM card for this month. Since the cards are free, I would just pick a SIM card from Vodafone and one from Telstra! So you are on the safe side and can still save your money! Of course, the offers can always change, I paid 40 AUS $ per month. For that, I got 18GB at Vodafone in the first three months and then 9GB. At Telstra you get about 5GB. Voice and SMS Flat in the Australian network was in both rates included! Just make yourself aware which offers are available by looking on the internet beforehand, then you can simply buy the SIM cards in the nearest kiosk (7Eleven).

Step 2: How to apply for my tax number in Australia

The next step is to apply for the tax number (TFN). For this you need your Australian phone number and a local address. Just use the address of your hostel. The TFN will be sent to you within 7 to 28 days. If it does not arrive, which is often the case, or you’ve changed the hostel you can also call the authority and they will give the TFN to you. It takes a few minutes to apply and you can easily do that online on the following page: https://iar.ato.gov.au/IARWeb/default.aspx?pid=4&sid=1&outcome=1

Step 3: Complete bank account and pick up bank card

To complete your bank account and pick up your card, you simply go to the nearest branch and follow the instructions: Mostly, a bank employee sits down with you and explains it to you. While you’re at it, be sure to ask for a superannuation account! It’s like a retirement account you need to work in Australia. The employer is required to pay X% of your salary into this account. Just before you leave Australia you can apply for the payout, since I do not want to live in Australia until you can get the pension: DWestpac Bank will apply for this account directly with you. The Commonwealth Bank can help you with this, but you have to open it online yourself.

 

The next blog post is about my experiences and recommendations in Melbourne. Check it out!!!